I fully understand what Tracy is saying here.....I heard Eruption at 15 and thought - "hmmm, well, let's put this thing away now" . I am 100% convinced EVH was sent here by God to show the world what was capable with an electric guitar - and it worked....EVH elevated the game by an immeasurable amount.

Rock really needs to be central to our culture again. I think 20, 25 years of pop and rap as the dominant forms of music in our culture is more than long enough. All that should've crashed and burned a long time ago

I was at that show. Tracy G and I became good friends years later. Tracy is one of the coolest people and one of the finest musicians on the planet.

Hey cousin Trace, great interview. I remember you telling me this story about V/H.

Great interview. Been friends with Tracy for two decades. He’s as genuine as they come. He’s made me a better guitar player, sometimes just from sitting and talking. The greats have a way of making everyone around better in so many ways 🤘🤘🤘

I was a roadie for Stormer it was the most amazing time in my life .

Excellent episode! Long live the king EVH!

Great description of the Golden West show.

"looked like a guy in battle with a sword that looked like he was going to kill everybody" haha had me rollin

I always thought Rusty Anderson (Eulogy) was the best of the bunch…but he was into the Beatles and Bowie (Mick Ronson) and the masses were more into the party band Van Halen (who I love too) and the metal guys like Rhodes (guitar genius) and Lynch…Eddie came up with his own unique tone, wrote killer riffs & songs, had the best frontman, and had the smile and awesome stage presence. He had the whole package. Give credit to Alex VH too…underrated drummer.

When Eddie passed, I was just numb for days. This guy was my inspiration and a muse for decades. And a really nice guy based on the time I met him in person. Just a loss to humankind overall.

Love Tracy Gs playing. I was at the Golden West Ballroom for the July 1976 Bicentennial gig. The line-up was Yankee Rose, Stormer and Van Halen. Jimmy Bates was lead for Stormer and Don Simmons was lead for Yankee Rose. I went to that gig for those 2 bands. Never heard VH before that. Eddie with that Destroyer, no trem, no tapping. It was like being at a Top Fuel event. I'm 3 months older than Eddie. Playing since I was 8. I've known Donny Simmons since 9th grade. My bass player (Ray Boggs) from my High School bands (Stained Glass & Bitterseet Hex) started Stormer. Those days were so awesome. The music scene in San Gabriel was stellar.

They opened for Black Sabbath in 77 or 78 by the time Sabbath came out every person there Was Floored absolutely Blown Away an just stood there Speechless I’ve been a fan ever since. We didn’t know Van Halen going in but we damn sure knew who they were coming out 🔥

What a great interview. My favorite was "look fucker, your already better than everyone now you do this?!" Classic!

great great great stuff Yes Sir Tracy G

I never heard of this guy before but I got to say this guy gives the best interview about Van Halen and Eddie I've ever heard, some people just know how to tell something and this guy is the best at telling the Van Halen story I've ever heard.

Excellent interview and details of those early Van Halen days. Tracy was often cited in VH Rising and this interview highlights much of that. Top notch!

In 1980 I was walking down Pine Street here in Seattle, where I still live. As i pass 9th Ave I'm passing the Paramount Theater and on the marquee it says "Blizzard of Ozz," w/ Motorhead. A ticket was seven or eight dollars and I got a ticket. Motorhead was something else ...When I first saw Randy standing fifteen feet in front of the three white Marshall Stacks he had... I was 14 years old and my life and my discovery of this beautiful little seemingly magic guy changed my life and the way I listen to and process music to this very day. I saw Van Halen in 79 here in Seattle as well.

33:47 "Look, fuck3r..." That sums it up perfectly. Ya demoralize us mere mortals by just ....playing. An' now you pull.... whateverthefuck THAT is... outtayerass. Hilarious.

TracyG, that was a fantastic interview! You're truly a class act. I'm honored that you mentioned me. By the way, I was the drummer of Phaze, and we were fairly close friends. We even attended school together, and played on La Puente's varsity basketball team. Do you recall those days, Tracy? LOL. Keep up the rocking, my dear friend!

Well, it took me a couple of days to get through this one. I had to keep going back to absorb it all. Tracy, man, what a lucky soul to have been "around" in the heyday of VH! And, his memory and descriptions of what was happening at the time is truly incredible! FANTASTIC interview Jeff! 🤘❤🤍🖤🎸👑

Loved Tracy's work in WWIII.

Love the history interviews keep the good work up brother.

Tracy G, this was great!

Thanks, Jeff, for having Tracy on to share his stories.. and what cool stories they are!

In 1978 i heard running with the devil verry loudly. I was 10yrs old and never heard anything like that from all the other famous bands of the time...i totally understand what everyone at that time had experienced...we were so lucky to have experienced that.

Awsome!!!! Thank you!!!!

no mention of Terry Kilgore🤔🤔🤔🤔 big influence he was to Edward Van Halen

The first time I ever heard Eruption I thought " OH MY MY. WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? LOL

Tracy thank you for sharing this incredible story…I really Dug hearing your first hand account of meeting Eddie…That’s incredible how cool he reacted to you as well..Having met a few of my musical heroes has been a mixed bag of excitement and utter disappointment…Keep those beautiful memories alive

This is so damned charming. Informative too. I love it.

I didn't even understand EVH when I 1st heard him at 14, and I was new to playing. A year later, I started to understand it, but it was beyond me. I was leaning ACDC. By the time I could play it, I stayed away from tapping, Kept it out of my tool box. Too many doing it. Imo.

THANK YOU ,what an intriguing interview with TRACY ,him describing his first V.H. experience had me teary eyed ,I would have loved to witness those early days of V.H...Thanks for unleashing these stories, you can never get enough V.H.

I love all of the Van Halen Stories interviews on the channel but I think this one is my favorite. Tracy is the coolest! 🎸

Man l wish I could've been around for those pre signed gigs

First time ever hearing this man speak. I became a fan when WWIII came out. I wore that cassette out. I ended up using Call Me Devil in the set for a while and I love his tone. I had no idea he played for Ronnie till last year when I saw him live w Ronnie. A unique voice for sure is Tracy. As for all the VH stuff Yet another guy just speaking about the legend and rise of the best to ever plug in. The Mighty Van Halen.

Outstanding interview. I have many videos of Tracy G when he was with DIO. I really love his different playing style as he's not a copy of every other guitar player. Ronnie says in one of the videos that this version of DIO was his favorite. No drama, everyone doing their thing and getting along great. Truly a unique player and a great guy. Great stories about VH. Thanks for interviewing one of my guitar heroes! Rock on Tracy G.

“He was just like a guy in battle with a sword about to kill everybody” Lol love that

I love this guy, great interview!

Im Listening to Man on the SilverMountain 76 Now the Guitar Solo at the Show had No Taping but incredible Delay unbelivble Still one one the best Eruptions even before ED Recreated The Insturment

no, Dave was not stupid, his was brilliant- period... And they blew away anyone the opened for - and any of those headliners will tell you exactly that - don’t ever forget it man. That went on until they only headlined - .I saw them on the first tour and they totally destroyed mega hero’s Black Sabbath

Great story I like the way this guy tells the story in detail I got to meet Eddie's guitar tech Rudy back in the day he got us backstage at Madison square garden

I'm impressed that everybody was there. Everybody's an expert. I really like it when people fabricate .

i met Tracy a few times, i was friends with a childhood friend of Tracy's and i'll tell you Tracy is also a beast on the guitar as EVH was, loved watching him shred. i knew he met Eddie but i never heard the story, better late than never.

Great interview! Thinking about where I was when I heard about Eddie’s passing. And it just hit me that I was maybe only a mile and a half from where I first heard Eddie when I was a kid-sometime in the late 70s. I was pulling into McDonald’s in my hometown when the first text came in to me about Ed. All my memories of hearing early Van Halen are of me either in my room or laying on the floor in the living room with these big old headphones on listening to that first album. 😝🤘🏻🎸

Hey, Tracy! I worked with you on some Dio! Also, i was living in Cerritos in ‘76 (close.)

you guys are fantastic man - I love hearing all of your history and stories and you are right - all of our interests and likings from this time period have us connected and you are so right-on dude EVH was the man- then Yngwie came along and left his fingerprint.... Lynch was wicked too and we all got to see them way before - they will be they forever - period....

58:19 I don’t understand why common knowledge says Sammy’s era sold more than Dave era, it’s 3rd times I’m hearing people say that. I think they confusing it with birth of number 1s albums. Sammy’s era was/is more successful than Dave era (although if Eddie wouldn’t play on Thriller maybe maybe maybe 1984 would be number 1 !!!) - but I’m a Sammy fan too, not that Dave era got hands dawn best VanHalen albums or maybe rock history (imo✌🏻), but Dave era released even on 8tracks!! People bought those records 3-4 times, also they remastered Dave era too! Good interview as usual man 🤘🏻 Can’t wait for next one as you announce it on instagram Cheers 🍻 Big fan from Iran

I saw Dio with Tracy G live I think 1996. I thought he was great in Dio. Really did a great job with the Rainbow songs I remember.

I love Tracy's work with DIO Strange Highways and Angry Machines. Thank you Tracy, you kicked major ass bro. Tasty powerful writer/player, rock on bud

Killer interview as always bro. Will definitely have to check out Tracy's stuff too. Thanks Man. Peace!!

Jimmy Bates (Stormer) was a Gunslinger 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🤙🏼

This is a incredible interview, and illustrates how big an impact and on what individual level Ed and VH was at. I was impacted the same way when I first heard VH1. Can still remember that moment.

Ed and Alex have performed live since they were 4-5 years old kids, sometimes with their father, a pro classical cellist. Both grew up playing piano, deep into Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, baroque and classical music. Ed’s tapping runs are frequently intervals derived from baroque piano runs. And he largely credits Alan Holdsworth as a tapping influence and fusion jazz/progressive rock master. Of all celebrities, I cried the most when Ed passed. I was driving and had to pull over bc I couldn’t see due to the flood of tears. RIP Ed. The world misses you 😢. I’ll see you again some day.

Great VH story, great interview, way to let him tell his story at his own pace.

I first saw VanHalen in 1984 in Ohio. I believe EVH was the "Jimi Hendrix" of my generation. It was him, and then everyone else. Just like Neil Peart. It was him, and then everyone else.

I was playing in the Tracy G group at the troubadour before his Dio days & myself on Bass & a guy named Mike played a all instrumentel set showcasing Tracy,. We must of did a good job cause Dio people asked about the entire band...God bless Tracy

George Lynch would be good one to have on here, I'm sure he has some stories to tell. there's another guy to, back then, Mitch Peery. he audition for ozzy around the same time Jake did. I bet he has some stories to. Seeing Greg Leon, on your show was something else. I've heard his name for years but never seen him and I came across your video with him........I gottta watch this.

Wow!! What a fantastic interview my friend. Just all out fantastic!! =\//-/=🎸🤘🎵🎶🤘🎸

Tracy G just became one of my Best Friends !😅 What a Phenomenal Interview! Tracy G has a Marvelous Memory and Recollection of Details ! One of The Best Van Halen Stories / Interviews i ever seen or heard of ! Thank you Tracy G for the Memories of The Greatest Guitarist that Ever Lived !!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

worked stage for Vinny Appice back in 1991 when he was in a band called WWIII and Tracy G was the guitarist along with Jimmy Bain on bass....Tracy had a very cool sound....lots of funky noises and shit...loud...didn't really talk to the dude himself ALL day but he had a very unique style...lots of tricks....

Hey Tracy, THANKS for all that info! BTW, I was in a drive-thru lane today in La Puente and a van in front of me had a TRACY G decal! You da man!

Dave is the ONLY singer for the Mighty Van Halen.. period! Fan since 1978, I was six. My brother turned me onto them. My favorite hard rock band of all time. Different kind of truth is truly in my top 3 VH records.

excellent interview and very interesting. A couple of things that got very overlooked in my opinion about VH is Alex is a very distinctive drummer and a great rock drummer. He had a very identifiable style, tuning and sound. Michael was great too, as well as that strong high full voice harmony. And his personality live too! Yea they had it all, the timing of the era and the synergy of the collective in the band. Good looking young lads too I might add

I love this rare information about the Mighty Van Halen. I was a 10 year old guitarist in 1978, playing sabbath and cream, chuck berry ... The day I heard Van Halen my entire life became dedicated to guitar.

This was fantastic!! Man, I swear, I said the same exact thing! And all I usually get is, "Oh, I like the later stuff better 🤢) There was something VERY special about Eddies playing right around the time of that first album. I've spent hours online listening to old live footage of VanHalen and listened to Eddie evolve. It was absolutely amazing how fast and far he advanced in just a couple of years up to that first album. But after that second album that specific magic was gone for me. Like mentioned in the interview by Tracy, he still put out some incredible stuff but it was just not the same after around the second album.

Great Interview that covers the very beginning- about Eddie Practicing at Breakfast- They learned a lot from Noel Monk on their first tour - who started as their road manager- then Manager - California was the place to be in 1978

Tracy G is awesome! Underated Dio guitarist.

My first concert was Van Halen on their first headlining tour 7/8/78 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Fantastic interview! Tracy G, one of my FAVORITE players, brought a new angle to Heavy Metal, like a pioneer. I didn't get to see VH until 91 unfortunately, but Eddie was still, well, Eddie. Women and Children First was one of my first albums ever. And to hear such an amazing player speak with such admiration of VH is really cool. But describing how he was blown away by VH the first time hearing them, reminds me my reaction to the first time hearing Jesus, Mary and the Holy Ghost on Strange Highways. And Tracy G live on the Angry Machines tour is some of the best stuff I've ever heard. So imaginative and over the top...

Great Story!!lucky guy!

Oh yeah. VH opened for UFO, M Schenker, another long time guitar inspiration, and as noted twice by MS and the singer, Phil Mogg, VH blew the roof off (The Goldenwest). A legendary pre-signing 😮VH show!

Diver Down was the first VH album I purchased and I still love it. Love every VH album up to F.U.C.K. I checked out after that. But the reunion album with DLR was great, save ‘Tattoo’. Blech!

That was another amazing, very passionate and interesting interview Jeff! I don't know how you manage to track them all down, but you always find the perfect witnesses! 🤘🏻😉

Thank you! This is great!!!!

Jimmy Lyon from Eddie Money - what a great great and tasty player - technique is nice, but that was EVHs thing - Jimmy Lyon's playing was precise and molded to the song. I loved his playing

Being from the era and from Pasadena I was totally aware of the EVH band. We had a feeling they would go places and they sure did.

Great interview

Very cool interview! I wish I had met Ed at some point, but that dream never came true. This was a great insight into the early VH days. Thank you for this interview Jeff. It is priceless!!

Totally get the big frets thing! Better bending and control and less fingers slipping off stings.

This dude is straight reliving that moment like he was right there!!! He’s having a ball and has done some DOPE in his past for sure probably now

I was in a band called Angel with Jimmy Bates back in the day.We played the same bars VH played The Connection and Louise Night Gallery and we would go see each other's band play. I remember Eddie would turn his back to the audience when he did his guitar solos. I think he didn't want people seeing what he was doing. I also did gigs with them when I played in a band called Yankee Rose. And Tracy G is from La Puente where I also live he is a great guitarist.

excellent insight...thanks

Everyone is telling you to interview this person and that person, including me, and now I want you to find the parachute guys and interview them! 🤣🤣🤣

I cant play unless I palm mute....went and looked at Terry's time with Dio. I like his guitar playing. Does he stay in touch with Vinnie Appice? I'm just now getting into Carmine's playing (I'm a drummer). Everyone should check out the song 'Stop In The Name of Love' It was the last song all 4 members of Vanilla Fudge did together before Tim Bogert died. It's good.

No alcohol at the Golden West. At least when I was there.

Bless this guy's heart ... tho he is one who could use some guidance and direction in terms of solidifying his experiences... I love all of your many posts; they're all very interesting and informative.

GOAT

Very cool stuff ❤!😅

Tracie missed that Roth was center stage behind the curtains , and after the announcement, pulled them aside “Is everybody ready?” Also: Ed played a white Strat that was already modified with a PAF. VH plays in a weird sub E flat. More like D sharp, but most tuning instruments don’t have it. It’s unique to Ed’s preference. And DLR could sing more comfortably, although it wasn’t meant for his comfort. It just sounded girthier and played more comfortably. I was friends with George and Randy. Both have been to my house. RR was an extremely sweet person and phenomenally talented and *formally music educated guy. A few weeks later I saw him in Quiet Riot. We thought Randy was the only reason to see QR and thought he has a bigger future ahead. I didn’t predict getting with Ozzie. Even less that he would so young die, which is not just a tragedy for the music world, but for humanity. Then what this mom? She was still alive, and for a mother to suffer a child’s death is unbelievable, life-shortening emotional pain. Ughh! RIP Randy 🪦😢😢😢 I took several lessons from George and met both of divorced parents. His mom met mine. Later I accidentally formed a band with two of his childhood friends. Great formative and fortunate years for me. And now those memories coincide with historic moments in rock guitar music.

Cool interview! Tommy Girvin was the badass guitarist from Smile & yep he sure had it going on too.

My 2nd concert was Van Halen (1984) and I've seen zillions of shows since and I cant tell you much about those shows... but I can tell you everything about that VH show from the jump!

Haha i saw a few good shows at golden west ballroom. The first time i heard of van halen they were playing at "cars of stars" museum rock event in buena park. My friend who was a shredder his band was playing lead up. I left after my friends band was done knowing no one was going to shred better than him. Maybe I was wrong haha maybe i should have stayed

Totally agree re: Nuno. I saw the tour with Vai, Zakk, Yngwie, Nuno .. Nuno really had it all playing-wise. And he was laid back and funny to boot. Tasteful always, rippin when needed, and every once in a while he'd sprinkle in a mind-blower. Def one of the greats. A robot (or about 743 Japanese 14yr Olds on YT) can mimic N-F-N solos. Yawn... it ain't got no soul, Eugene. These kids need to get a VHS of Crossroads (and get off my lawn).

I am in the minority because I never cared for Eddie’s tone but holy crap his playing was otherworldly. Miss him.

Awesome!

Another great interview! Tracy G is cool and I always liked the WWWIII album despite some of the cheesiest lyrics ever. Great riffs and some unique, cool leads!

great

Wrong. Ed tapped throughout Eruption which was ever evolving for several years prior to the first Goldenwest show. The Destroyer didn’t have a tremolo, but he detuned the low E string at select moments until it growled and was dangerously loose. Then instantly retuned it. But Ed’s white Strat had a tremolo, which was not difficult to keep in tune bc Ed modified it at about 12 different points. Which he coached me as I built a new Frankenstrat. So I learned how to “Van Halenize” Strats in order to keep them in tune. Thanks, Ed.

Yeah I have The Bootleg is this the Show VH opened for UFO the Boot is Eating Schenkers LOL